Our Impact ministry is based on this imperative and more.  Not only are we being obedient to this command of Jesus, we are participating in His ministry as our risen, living, and reigning Lord.  Andrew Purves made this observation regarding the ministry of the church.  “Ministry that is not assumed by Jesus Christ is the ministry that is not healed, but that languishes in the pride of our own attempts to storm heaven.”  Our efforts, our ministry is not redemptive.  It is the ministry of Jesus that is redemptive and it is His ministry that we are participating in as we serve and obey Him.

 VVBC Serving the Church - Jerusalem
God created each believer for a purpose and equipped each disciple with the gifts to fulfill their calling. He gives gifts to be used to help build up Jesus' church. Serving in your areas of giftedness and passion helps you grow spiritually, and it brings joy!    

 Each summer, Valley View sponsors a camp for youth from the 2^nd grade through High School.  God has blessed this camp as young people make decisions to accept Christ each year.  This year, Valley View members donated a total of $4,870.00 to provide scholarships for youth who cannot afford to attend camp.  Since this scholarship fund was started, a total of $42,195.00 has been donated which has provided full or partial scholarships to 336 young people. 

 CEF – A group of VVBC members, recognizing the importance of Christian Education, established a Christian Education Fund to provide tuition assistance for Valley View families.  Almost $320,000 has been given to provide grants and scholarships to 140 students over the past 11 years!

 A year ago, Valley View members donated 1,050 cases of water to relieve the suffering of the Valley homeless during our hot summer months.  All this was done as if we were serving Jesus himself, Matthew 25:35.  This year, Valley View donations drillled 3 wells in the rural areas of China to provide clean water for people who are being served by a missionary that we support.

 From our regular giving, a benevolence fund has been established that helps members and non-members during times of need.  Each week, we give out gift cards from a local grocery for those who come to the church in need.  Since we started, over 200 cards have been given in His name. In addition, members have been helped in other ways through this fund.

 Serving our Community – Judea and Samaria                     Every follower of Jesus has a role in God’s life-changing work all around us, right where we live and work. Mission is more than simply writing a check or signing up for another church activity; mission is about becoming a person who is meaningfully engaged in the community as a follower of Jesus.   

 Every month, a faithful group of VVBC members gather to partner with the Phoenix Rescue Mission and provide lunches for the Valley Homeless.  Over 2,400 meals are prepared and distributed every year!

 Ronald McDonald house is a ministry started by our Women’s Ministry.  The families who stay at the Ronald McDonald house have children who are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.  Our ladies prepare a meal of home cooked food and serve these families several times a year.

Each week, Valley View members enter local prisons to teach Bible studies.  At the present time, we have 8 who go weekly and 2 others who lead seminars on parenting on a regular schedule.

 Members are now being trained as our Prison Ministry is being expanded to create a team to make VVBC a bridge church so that those who are getting out of prison can make a healthy transition into their families, community, and church.

Project Angel Tree, through Prison Fellowship, provides Christmas gifts to children of inmates.  This ministry has been growing each year.  This year, 71 children were given gifts, 142 gifts were purchased ($2,840.00), $350.00 was donated to project Angel Tree, and over 100 VVBC members volunteered to purchase gifts, wrap gifts, volunteer to throw our Angel Tree families a wonderful party, and deliver gifts to those unable to attend.  One of our VVBC families who volunteered were former recipients of VVBC’s missional spirit through this ministry last year and our now VVBC members!

 The Ladies of our Women’s Ministry gathered and lovingly made blankets for the Crisis Pregnancy Center to be given to the women in crisis they serve in the name of Jesus and his Kingdom.

Season of Service – VVBC is partnering with over 600 Valley Churches to reach out to our community on a monthly basis. 

• In October, VVBC members went into local schools in the Creighten and Madison districts where they painted, cleaned, built, and landscaped. 
• A group of our VVBC Students cleaned the yards of 2 elderly homeowners to prevent them from being fined by the city. 
• November brought VVBC members into our inner-city to provide and serve meals to the men and women being served by the Capital Mall Fellows Homeless Outreach House in central Phoenix.
• Blankets were donated by VVBC members and given to the House of Refuge for the homeless in the Sunnyslope area.
• A food drive resulted in VVBC members donated a large amount of food for the St. Mary’s Food Bank.
• December plans revolved around our Project Angel Tree outreach.
• January will take us back into the Sunnyslope community to help with neighborhood clean-up and renewal.

 AWOL – VVBC Student Ministry has 2 outreach events each year called A Work of Love.  They go into the community and have done a variety of service projects.  The schedule for 2011 is for this to be expanded to AWOL every quarter.

 One Valley View member has faithfully collected clothing and food items for a local outreach ministry (Inner-Faith Cooperative).  She has quietly done this for the past 12 years.  Serving and partnering with what Jesus is doing in our community.

 Serve our World – Uttermost Parts of the Earth                       In a world where challenges often seem overwhelming, we believe God is working through His people to make His justice, compassion, mercy, and peace known through the Kingdom of God. We seek to bear witness to Jesus, in partnership with churches and organizations worldwide. 

 We support and partner with Dr. Peter Burgos and his ministry in China.  Peter has been a blessing to those he serves and our partnership with him.  Last summer, VVBC members responded by giving over $5,000 to dig three wells in the area where Peter works so clean water is now available for those Peter is serving.

 Anthony and Amber Howard are two Valley View members who have answered the call to serve Jesus in “the uttermost parts of the earth.”  Not only do we support them with our prayers but a portion of our regular donations go for their support.  In addition, a number of individual VVBC members support them above their giving to Valley View.

When an earthquake hit Haiti, Valley View members were moved with compassion and responded by giving $16,000.00 to help relieve the suffering caused by this tragedy.  All done for, because of, and in the name of Jesus Christ.

A Valley View member has been moved to begin a ministry to Rocky Point, Mexico.  She has enlisted the help of one of our Sunday adult classes who have adopted her ministry and donate food and clothing that she takes Rocky Point on a monthly basis.

Valley View members are also actively sharing in the ministry of Jesus by participating in short term mission trips around the world, volunteering, sponsoring children through a variety of missionary organizations, and supporting a wide variety of para-church mission organizations.

 Earlier this year, Valley View members adopted a new constitution that helped forge a significant change in our approach to ministry.  It focused on areas that the early Christian church placed as a high priority.  We defined those areas as Impact, Life, Faith, and Worship.  This is where we see Jesus at work.  The change is the difference between ministry without power, when everything is left up to us to do and ministry filled with joy and hope because Jesus not only lives but also reigns and acts in power on our behalf.

We are committed to participating in what Jesus is doing in our church, community, and world.  This is being seen in the joy and renewed spirit of our members. 

A new member of Valley View and a veteran of pastoral ministry with her husband made this observation:

“The churches that we have been associated with have all been inward focused.  Valley View is different.  It is outward focused!”